Good integration of audio, visual, and text elements
Editing of comments is not supported
Have conversations outside of class regarding primary document such as images
Free, and pretty intuitive to use
Cannot change order of comments, if building a presentation
A different media for in-class group assignments (as opposed to a poster or PowerPoint)
Gives access to the New York Public Library, with a wealth of resources
Requires internet access
Allows participation of students who may be gone for medical reasons
Students can add their own pictures, in addition to comments
Limited customization
Fun!
You can have multiple identities on one account, so you can have one sign-in while still having all students participate
If you want to use a video, you must either make it with your webcam or upload it from your computer. No YouTube links.
Apple on the Environment by Don Leavitt
Click to see larger picture
Wordle takes a set of text and highlights the most prominent words. The more often a word is used, the larger it displays on the picture. In the case of Apple's overview of their environmental impact and initiatives, the word "products" was used the most often, followed closely by "impact". To use this tool, go to the Wordle home page, click "Create", and insert the text you wish to create a Wordle with. You can click "Randomize" until you get a design you like. If you want to be more adventurous, you can assign the weight to the words manually. Here is an example: For this I went to "Advanced" from the homepage to assign each word weights. In this case, "MANFLESH!" (in reference to the orc quote in LOTR) was given the most weight.
Pros
Cons
Uses in the Classroom
Easy to use, yet still fun
Very simple, and therefore very limited
Have students examine their word use on assignments
Free!
Not as collaborative as other, more powerful tools
Examine articles
Can be a useful tool for examining documents and articles
By Don Leavitt
Here is a link if the widget doesn't work:
VoiceThread Example and Explanation
Apple on the Environment
by Don Leavitt
Click to see larger picture
Wordle takes a set of text and highlights the most prominent words. The more often a word is used, the larger it displays on the picture. In the case of Apple's overview of their environmental impact and initiatives, the word "products" was used the most often, followed closely by "impact". To use this tool, go to the Wordle home page, click "Create", and insert the text you wish to create a Wordle with. You can click "Randomize" until you get a design you like. If you want to be more adventurous, you can assign the weight to the words manually. Here is an example:
Puppies on Google SitesBy Don Leavitt
PUPPIES!!
For kicks, I also made this website through Google Sites. Do not follow the link if you are allergic to Adorable.